How about we try this again, Brooklyn?

January 25, 2013

Just about a year ago, Evan and I rented an apartment in DUMBO. It was the first time we’d lived in Brooklyn since we relocated to upstate New York nine years ago, and it felt so good to be back. I love Brooklyn. My first post-college apartment was in Cobble Hill, and South Brooklyn pretty much immediately felt like home to me. We did stints in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, too, back when there wasn’t a Fairway or an IKEA (or much of anything in the way of conveniences, really!). And then we left, and I spent a bunch of years missing Brooklyn.

So, DUMBO. When we rented our little place there last year, it was kind of an experiment. Evan works in the neighborhood, and what could be better than having a commute that amounts to little more than walking across the street? As I’ve mentioned waytoomany times, I was never really sold on the idea of moving into a gut-renovated, brand new apartment, and no matter what I do with the place, it just doesn’t feel like our home. Now, we are extremely fortunate to also have a wonderful old house that feels more like our home than anywhere I’ve ever lived, so I know it’s a little silly to care so much about the apartment, too, but…

OK, let’s cut to the chase: We’re moving. To Cobble Hill. Yes, right back where I lived when Evan and first met, my favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn.

We hadn’t really been planning on moving, but right after our current lease came up for renewal, my brother and his wife bought an apartment…and, as a result, decided on a date to end the lease on the Cobble Hill rental apartment they’ve been living in for years. Guess what? That date just so happened to be exactly the same as the end of our lease! I know there’s no such thing as “fate,” but that’s a pretty happy coincidence. My brother’s apartment is in a great location, it’s at least double the size of our current place (!!), the landlord is friendly and kind, and it’s a lot cheaper, too. Cheaper is good. It’s also on high enough ground that it won’t flood during the next hurricane—in fact, it’s where we evacuated to when Sandy struck.

And did I mention how much I love Cobble Hill?

The apartment itself is a 4th-floor walkup in a converted attic, so the bottom half of it (meaning from mid-wall to the floor) is original to the building (which I’d guess was probably built around 1880-1890ish), and the top half is an addition that was put on to make the ceiling higher. I’m not sure what year the addition was put on, but it’s got to be at least 30 or 40 years old. The kitchen is new-ish, the bathroom is old-ish, and absolutely nothing is my style. Hah! That’s OK, though, because all of it has potential. I like potential. I like a challenge. I have a vision. I can see right past that tan bathtub and those unpainted moldings. Just you wait. This is a place I can see Evan and I holding onto for years.

The move is probably happening in mid-February, and I’m really excited. I’ve been dreaming about paint colors and sofas (we’re finally going to have room for something bigger than a loveseat!) and light fixtures and floor tiles. It’s going to be so good!!

This is great news! Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens are my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods. We lived in Carroll Gardens for 3 yrs and loved it. If I’m ever able to afford Brooklyn real estate, I would buy in Carroll Gardens in a heart beat. SDoes the apt have have dormer windows or skylights since its a renovated attic? It sounds charming, I can’t wait to see it.

Yay! Was so happy to see this news on Twitter. It’s going to be great. I know it will probably be sad not to see that beautiful view from the BBP every day (I miss it like crazy), but you’ll have Pier 6 now! Very cool and can’t wait to see what you do with the place.

Sounds like a great place. It might be because I’m still somewhat new around here (I didn’t see it on your FAQ page), but what is keeping you from just staying in Brooklyn full time? What prompted the house in Newburgh? Just curious since it’s rare to see someone utilizing two homes like that (though it kinda sounds like fun).

Hi Francine, our house in Newburgh (which is our primary residence) came first—it pre-dates this blog’s beginnings, actually. We bought it in 2006 after living in a rental upstate for a while, and up until three years ago we commuted to our jobs in NYC every day. Six years of commuting for four hours a day started to wear on us emotionally and physically, though, so we decided to rent a little apartment to help ease that stress a bit. You can read a little more about decision here:http://www.doorsixteen.com/2009/12/21/d16-pied-a-terre-style/

We have no plans to move to Brooklyn full-time. We love owning a home, we love Newburgh, we love living in the Hudson Valley, and we really love our house a whole lot. 🙂

congrats! i’m way too excited about your move and can’t wait to see what you do to the place! it sounds like “you.” i’m crossing my fingers my own move will happen in April so the timing, for me to “steal” ideas, couldn’t be more perfect my friend 🙂

on a night out, you MUST go to buschenshank if you haven’t been to it yet. the beer is good, the food is excellent (though, we only had appetizers, the sauce for their pretzels is to die for, and the meat and cheese plate has candied lemon rinds! ahhh so good!)

Congrats! I refuse to move unless the move would mean an apartment that was both somehow better AND cheaper (or at least not way more $$$). You’ve accomplished both. Can’t wait to see what you do with the new/old place. Good luck with the move!

Wow, Anna! Ever since we moved to Vermont we’ve been saying that the only things we miss about BK are Korean delis, nail salons, the co-op, and…SAHADI’S (I was just saying today that we need Middle Eastern food really badly here in Waterbury). Congratulations to you both. You truly will have the best of both worlds…the Hudson Valley and BK! And, I hear you on the “potential” magnet. Looking forward to updates, and in the meantime, all the best.

Life above Sahadi’s? Across from Trader Joe’s? I’m pretty much an ugly amount of jealous right now. But congrats! I’m really looking forward to seeing the new place and how you put your signature on it!

Ahh, the Siren song of “potential”! I too have been wrecked (multiple times) on those alluring rocks. Being a Midwestern country mouse, I’m always amazed at the amount of work you put into someone else’s property — but am SO looking forward to seeing what you do with these wonderful new digs! Congratulations on the serendipity.

Is this the apartment with the funky radiator you posted on instagram? I hope so, that thing was so cool looking. I can’t wait to see what you do with the place, I bought an older home that needs lots of work and it feels so much homier than the last “new” place I lived in. Congrats on the lucky score!

Okay! Just had to go back in posts to be sure all that recent tiling hadn’t been done in the apartment! The house. Good. 🙂 Went by Fritz’s 5th birthday post and beautiful collage. Our Meeko is almost three and I don’t what I did without my faithful, goofy companion before we had him.

Congratulations on the scheduling perfection! Sounds like the landlord is doing things right and valuing good tenants and NOT jacking up the rent after your brother move. (No bitterness frim this renovicted renter!

Congrats, Anna!
Can’t wait to see what you are doing with the new space!

May I ask you a silly touristy question? I’ll be in NYC in May to visit a friend (who is doing a senior research scholarship at Columbia- we’re all soooo proud of him) and staying in Williamsburg. Is is wise to come in the beginning of May or better at the end of May according to the climate?

Well, considering my first reaction when I read this question was to look up the climate for New York in May—despite having lived here for 37 years—I think it’s safe to say that it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. 😉

The worst times to visit New York are probably January and August. Beyond that, it’s going to be somewhere between 50°-80°, depending on the insanity that is climate change/global warming. I’ve never really noticed or thought about a difference between early and late May, personally. Everything between March and June is “warmish.”

I stumbled across your gorgeous design blog a few months back and it seems we have parallel lives! I, too, moved away (to Providence) from Bkln (Boerum Hill) -7 years ago- and never quite made the transition. My gorgeous Federal house built in 1824 in Providence goes on the market this month (why oh why can’t there be such homes in NYC?) and we are officially back in B Heights full-time starting at the end of Feb. If I see you on the streets, be forewarned, I will act like a fan.

In addition we own a farm in Normandy called La Beauvairie which has been in my husband’s family for about a hundred years, but is waaaay older than that. As we begin to restore it, I may come to you from time to time for design advice if you don’t mind. I’ve certainly already benefited from your style. I’m definitely envisioning Bkln-Danish-French Country. That may be too much but somehow, I think it can work. We’ll see.

Also, I don’t know if you are Scandinavian or just a fan but I’m a Norwegian-Dane and was wondering what your cultural connections were since you seem to hit on exactly the same cozy things from my homeland(s) that I love!

Plus, Fritz is adorable. I have an ancient cat but as soon as she finally rests in greener pastures, a little doggie is in the future.

Hi Crystal! I’m not sure I’m all that good at giving other people design advice—it’s so hard for me to figure out what’s right even in my own home. 😉 And yes, my mother is from Sweden and is of Danish parentage, so that stuff comes to me honestly, haha.

I wanted to ask you for your thoughts on making changes to rental apartments (such as adding tile or renfinishing a bath tub) when you know the place isn’t yours for forever. Even if your landlord approves of the work and has given permission, what are your thoughts on investing your own time and sweat labour into something someone else owns?

I think it really depends on a lot of varying factors (how much the rent is, how long you expect to live there, etc.), but when it comes down to it, even a rental apartment is still a HOME. I think it’s crazy to live somewhere for years on end—paying someone else money every month—and not be happy with your surroundings. When I work on my house (which I own), I don’t think about it in terms of getting an eventual financial return on it…that isn’t likely to even be a possibility anytime in the next couple of decades, frankly, since our house is worth less than we paid for it (and WAY less when you factor in the work we’ve done). It’s all about making a nice home and fixing something that should be cared for. That’s how I think about rental apartments, too.

I would like to know if it’s common to move so often in NY ? It seems so odd to me, as here in Paris it’s hard to find appartments to rent that once you found something that you like you to to stay put !

I wouldn’t say it’s common, necessarily, but I will say that New Yorkers are peculiar about real estate…especially when it comes to rentals. We tend to be pretty open about what we pay for rent, and it’s not rude to ask your friend how much they pay. Because of that openness, everyone winds up always keeping an eye and ear out for something bigger, cheaper, or otherwise better in some way. I think it’s and unfulfilled fantasy kind of thing. 😉 Once you find the RIGHT place, though, you hold onto it for dear life.

In my case, I’ve moved a lot within Brooklyn mostly because my landlords decided to put either the entire building or my apartment on the market for sale. That happened to us twice in two years, actually, and it was exhausting…it’s part of what led us to want to buy a house. If the owner of my first apartment in Brooklyn hadn’t sold the building, I’d probably still be there. It was a great place!

I really admire your attitude towards caring for rentals Anna. So far my experience in Ireland has been that people don’t respect rentals so much, even landlords. Perhaps it is because we have always been more of a nation of homeowners and do not have the rental culture of many of our European neighbours. The decoration of rentals is to a very low standard too. I think that if it needs to be fixed and you care about your surroundings then it is worth the time to restore something, redecorate etc within budget of course. I want to leave the house I rent better than it was was when I moved in, especially because it is a period home. This attitude applies to all things in life really. I’m excited to see what you do in your next place. Thanks for the inspiration.